The Hay Springs Hawks had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 32.5 points), and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 50-24 margin over Cody-Kilgore. The result was nothing new for Hay Springs, who have now won four matches by 26 points or more so far this season.
Gage Mintken was on fire: he rushed for 231 yards and five touchdowns while picking up 12.2 yards per carry. Mintken's longest rush was for an incredible 78 yards. Dylan Young got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Several Cowboys/Cowgirls players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jacob Knox, who rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Knox is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last five games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jasper Roseberry, who rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.
Hay Springs' victory was their third straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 5-3. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 44.3 points per game. As for Cody-Kilgore, their defeat ended a six-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 5-3.
Hay Springs will be playing in front of their home fans against Hampton at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Nebraska (Hampton is ranked 71st, while Hay Springs is ranked 82nd). As for Cody-Kilgore, they will face off against Parkview Christian at 0:00 a.m. on Friday.
